Raavanan Background Score

It is choral-orchestral bangs for Veera’s Introduction. Again. I don’t understand why A.R.Rahman always (Yuva, Sivaji, Mangal Pandey, Jodhaa Akbar, Mudhalvan) resorts to the same type of scoring, whenever there is a strong larger-than-life protagonist in the film. The main Veera theme could have been more rooted. I was expecting the eerie Oud that we heard in initial teasers (though can’t say the sound of it as rooted) to be the signature sound of the bewildering characteristics of Veera. It instead is used for Raghini (apparent in the scene in which she climbs up to the ground from a prison-pit).

But thankfully, major parts of the second half of the film, is filled with pieces made of the haunting melody of the song (that was not released in the CD) ‘Naan Varuvaenae’ (‘Jaa Re Ud Ja Re’ in Hindi). May be this contrast in sound, feel and volume between Veera’s themes in the first half and second half of the film is intentional to imply how Veera’s shades of Black gradually fades to white in Raghini’s perception.

‘Naan Varuvaenae’ / ‘Jaa re Ud Jaa Re’ first appears on a Sarangi when Veera weeps on witnessing a victim of rape in his Sister. When the same melody finally appears on divine registers of A.R.Rahman’s voice, in that chilling climax, I had goose bumps. I was moved to tears. Maniratnam mutes all mortal ambient sounds and allows Rahman’s immortal melody to induce a lump in our throat. My body was electrified for a split second when a lazy Harmonica starts in sync with the poignant slow motion shot in the end. This theme, to ‘Raavan’, is what ‘Then Paandi Cheemayilae’ melody was to ‘Naayagan’.

African chants and alaap are used randomly throughout the film and it aids to believably transform the place of action into an abstract mythical land.

The version of ‘Kaattu Chirukki’ in the film is beyond words, in which the melody takes an unpredictable twist and flow. Exquisitely eerie expression in the voice that rendered the song (Is it Chinna Ponnu?) adds further to the uniqueness of this version of the song. We can count this as a background score piece. I strongly feel that these visuals weren’t shot with music. The brilliant choreography by Astad Deboo and Sham Kaushal, the godly visuals and camera angles of Santosh Sivan, fiery performance by both Aishwarya and Vikram make this whole montage an absolute delight; I wouldn’t mind watching the film many times just for this sequence.

And the thundering ‘Yerimalai’ song (yes, another new song) that plays while Veera burns down Dev’s camp, though would sound very effective as a standalone track, sounds too chaotic with when played along an already chaotic montage of action. May be that was the requirement – Chaos in Sound. The instrumental version of the track works well to pump up the energy and to add an adrenaline rush in the subsequent action blocks.

There definitely is more music in the film. I will update if I find anymore interesting bits after I watch the film again.